Amusement device



March 6, 1962 .1. G. RICHARDSON ETAL 3,024,025

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1960 JqcK G. R/CHQQDSON .Doeon/YLR/cHn/QDso/v INVENTORS BY FULW/DER, MQTT/NGL Y g HL/NTLEY ATTORNEYS I it...

United States Patent ()fiice 3,624,025 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 3,024,025 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Jack G. Richardson and Dorothy L. Richardson, both of 5842 Candlewood Ave, Lakewood, Calif. Filed Sept. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 58,379 Claims. (Cl. 273-1022) This invention relates broadly to amusement devices and in particular to toys adapted for playing ring games.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a device for the amusement and entertainment of children.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game of skill which rewards the successful player by producing a pleasing illumination of the toy.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the presently preferred 16 is greater than the inside diameter of the neck portion 23 of head 10, when said neck portion is relaxed. When the handle is thrust into the position of FIG. 1, the diametrically extended neck resiliently grips the handle and holds it from unintended dislodgrnent. As will later be noted, the wire or wires extending from unit A to interior points within head 10, have sufficient slack to enable withdrawal of handle 16 and, with it, assembly A, to replace unit A or a part thereof in case of need.

The mounting of unit A within the head 10 of the FIG. 4 embodiment is like that just described, except that, since the mounting tube 16a of FIG. 4 does not serve as a manipulating handle, said tube 16a terminates within the head hollow.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a metal terminal or switch element 24 is stationarily clipped to the scooped bridge of nose 11. Terminal 24, in the form of a strip extending longitudinally of the nose bridge, is connected by wire to the central terminal of bulb 13;

7 said wire having sufiicient slack to enable the intended embodiment of the invention, being broken away and shownin section to disclose self-contained illumination means, including one form of switch means;

FIGURE 2 is a section on line 22. 01" FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is an electrical circuit diagram illustrating the illumination and switch means shown in FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention showing another species of switch means and an alternative support means;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view taken in the direction I of the arrows 5-5 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an electrical circuit diagram illustrating the illumination and switch means used in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 and 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, it will be seen that the toy comprises, in essence, a puppet head It) with a large protruding target nose 11 mounted on either a tubular handle 16 (FIG. 1) or a block 17 (FIG. 4). The puppet It) is made of a translucent material, for instance, a resilient plastic. The head 10 is hollow to permit enclosure of an electric light bulb 13 and a set 14 of dry battery cells for energizing the bulb. The toy also includes a metal ring 12 adapted to be tossed over the nose 11 of the toy and thereby, by means of electrical circuitry to be described later, energize the bulb 13 and illuminate the translucent puppet 10, from within.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the ring 12 is tethered to the head 10 by line 18. The child grasps the toy handle 16 and, by appropriate swinging and flicking motions, attempts to ring" the nose 11.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, the ring 12 is untethered. In this embodiment, the child tosses the ring at the nose 11 of the toy and thereby attempts to illuminate the puppet.

We will now describe preferred, though not limitative, means for mounting cell set 14 and bulb 13 within the hollow of head 10. In FIG. 1, the mounting means includes the tubular handle 16, which may be plastic, cardboard, or the like. The cell set 14 is here shown as made up of two cells 14a and 14b, in relatively inverted relationship, connected in series by bar 19. Soldered to the terminal 20 of cell 14a is a metal bracket 21 to which, in turn, the casing of bulb 13 is soldered. The unit A, made up of cell set 14, bracket 21 and bulb 13, is bodily pressed into the upper end of the bore of tube 16, where it is releasably held positioned by diametrically opposite, spring retainers 22, soldered, one each, to the upper terminals of cells 14a, 14b.

The handle 16 may be releasably connected to head 10 by any suitable means, though the illustrated means is currently preferred. Here, the outside diameter of handle withdrawal of handle 16 and assembly A for the purpose noted above.

Line 13 is in the nature of a flexible, insulated wire, soldered at one end to the upper terminal of cell 14b, and thence extending downwardly through, the bore of handle 16 to a point below head 10, where it exits through aperture 27. Preferably, the line 18 is taped, as at 28, or otherwise suitably secured to the outside of handle 16. The otherwise free end of the Wire of line 18 carries a contact clip 29 which is soldered to metal ring 12, thus electrically connecting cell set 14 with said ring. The ring 12 is, in effect, a switch element of the circuit shown in FIG. 3, adapted to cooperate with the switch element represented by terminal 24.

When the tethered ring 12 is clear of nose 11, as in the full lines of FIG. 1, the circuit shown in FIG. 3 is open, and bulb 13 is de-energized. The player grasps the handle 16 and, by swinging and flicking motions, attempts to ring the nose 11. If and when he succeeds, ring 12 lodges on terminal 24, thus closing the circuit of FIG. 3, and energizing bulb 13 to illuminate the translucent head 10; thus indicating a successful hit in a manner pleasing to a child.

The bulb 13 may be so located by relative shifting of parts, within head 10, that the entire head is illuminated more or less uniformly, or so that illumination emphasis is on a particular feature or features; as, for instance, the target nose 11.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, ring 12 is shown as untethered. However, in place of the single nose contact 24 of FIG. 1, there are provided two parallel, nose terminals or clips 24a and 24b, which terminals are spaced apart and thus insulated one from the other. Terminal 24a is connected by wire 25a to bulb 13, as was terminal 24 in FIG. 1; while terminal 24b is connected by wire 25b to the upper terminal of cell 14b, as was wire 18 in FIG. 1.

Thus, when ring 12. is not present on nose 11, the circuit of FIG. 6 is open, and bulb 13 is de-energized. However, when the player succeeds in ringing nose 11, the metal ring 12 contacts both terminals 24a and 24b and serves as a bridge to close the circuit of FIG. 6 and thus cause the head illumination which indicates a successful hit.

Of course, the untethered ring 12 of FIG. 4 may be replaced by a tethered ring; in which case the tether, itself, may be a tie which has no electrical circuitry characteristics.

It will be recognized that there are various human-like and animal-like puppet shapes which are as suitable to the purpose as are the particular head configurations shown in the drawings herein. Furthermore, the target protuberance need not be a nose, but can equally well be a pointed chin, a pointed hat, an upturned tail, etc. It should also be noted that a conventional electric buzzer or other noise-making device could be placed in the circuit of the light bulb 13 if an added effect is desired.

These and other variations from the preferred embodiments shown herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

I. An amusement device comprising: a generally hollow puppet body, at least part of said body being translucent; a target protuberance on said puppet; a source of light within said puppet adapted to illuminate said translucent part from the interior of said puppet; an electrical circuit for connecting said light source with a source of electricity to energize said light source; normally open switch means interposed in said circuit and including an element on said protuberance; and a ring receivable by said protuberance and engageable with said element to close said switch means.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said electrical source comprises at least one dry cell battery within said device; and said ring comprises an essential part of said circuit when said switch means is closed.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said puppet comprises a headlike shape; said protuberance comprises a scooped nose; and said element is afiised to the bridge of said nose.

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said element comprises a pair of terminals insulated from each other to form a gap in said circuit, which gap is electrically bridged by said ring when the ring simultaneously engages said terminals.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein: said ring is tethered to the body, said tether comprising a portion of said circuit; and said switch element comprises a terminal in said circuit and positioned on the outside of said protuberance, which ring, when it engages said terminal, closes said circuit means.

6. An amusement device comprising: a generally hollow puppet body having an opening into the body hollow, at least part of said body being translucent; a target protuberance on said body; a member extending through said opening and releasably held within said body; a battery and associated light bulb supported by said member; an electrical circuit for connecting said battery and bulb for energizing the latter; normally open switch means interposed in said circuit and including an element on said protuberance; and a ring receivable by said protuberance and engageable with said element to close said switch means.

7. A device as in claim 6 wherein: said member is adjustably movable within the body whereby the position of the bulb within the body is alterable.

8. A device as in claim 6 wherein: said member projects outwardly from the body as a manipulating handle.

9. A device as in claim 6 wherein: said member is tubular, and said battery is supported within the bore of said member.

10. A device as in claim 6 wherein: said member is tubular; and including a ring-tether extending through the bore of the member and comprising a portion of said circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 844,577 Borchardt Feb. 19, 1907 2,148,346 Goldman Feb. 21, 1939 2,645,491 Volman July 14, 1953 2,832,597 Brennan Apr. 29, 1958 2,933,853 Laval Apr. 26, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 411,252 Great Britain lune 7, 1934 

